FAQ

MEAGAN ENGLISH COACHING…Frequently Asked Questions!

I tend to focus my coaching around topics like leadership development, organization/planning, stress management, personal power and goal achievement! Generally, coaching is for passionate people who are ready to stir things up, and get more out of life! If you’re feeling “stuck”, or are ready for change — whether a change in your quality of life or career, or whether you’re simply seeking more (in your relationships, career and/or just general satisfaction)…coaching may be for you. Ultimately, coaching is for people that are ready to accept full responsibility for affecting the outcomes they desire, and who want to start living their life more fully.

As a Coach, my goal is to be your accountability partner, motivator, strategist and sounding board. I want to honor you as the expert in your own life, and guide you to that awareness through powerful questions and thought-provoking conversation. Coaching helps you to discover your own personal “best”, and I love helping you discover it.

I like to describe the process of coaching as future-focused, while the process of psychotherapy is often historically focused. Another popular metaphor is to say that coaches work with the “worried well”, or those that are generally in good mental health but looking to get stronger, as opposed to working with the sick (or someone experiencing some kind of chronic or acute mental distress).

Coaching services are designed to challenge, uplift and support you psychologically, but coaching is not psychotherapy. The work of coaching is meant to be done when major emotional and psychological wounds are healing or healed. A person that feels psychologically stressed to the point that it is interfering with their ability to function should seek the help that they need in the form of a professional counselor or clinician. While coaching may augment therapy, it is not a replacement for therapy.

Nearly all of my clients are professional men and women that are juggling careers or businesses, family, and life in general, and at least half of my coaching clients are professional men that are looking for an outlet for support in their life and career journeys. I always conduct a complimentary consultation before beginning work with any new client, so if you’re interested in seeing if we might be a good fit, schedule that right here.

There’s a lot of great information right over here to help you decide if coaching might be a good fit for you at this time in your life! The best way to know, however, is to set up a consultation. If you feel like you’re ready to commit to making positive changes in your life, I would love to work with you!

I got lucky! ♥ After nearly 16 years in executive management in the health care field, I was searching for something new in my life. A friend referred me to the Martha Beck Life Coach Training Program and after a few months of pondering, I decided to sign up for the training (and subsequently for Koelle Simpson’s Equus Coach Training Program). When I signed up, I was still working in health care operations and was at the height of “busy-ness” in my life, with school-aged children, a spouse, a home….you get the picture. I didn’t really know what my purpose was in signing up, just that it “felt right”.

Over the year long course, I spent time each week outside of class both coaching, and being coached. When I was coaching, I felt more energized than I had in years. Supporting people as they worked through obstacles was fascinating and rewarding – I absolutely loved it. I had a gift for establishing trust quickly, honoring client’s stories respectfully, and walking alongside them through their transformation. And on the flip side, over my year of being coached (by peers, fellow students and Master Coaches) I worked through some pretty epic stuff. I became changed, and I came alive.

Through that process, not only did I know that I had found my calling, but…

I now knew first-hand the kind of transformation that Coaching offered to those that engaged in the experience.

And although it was scary, I shifted my life’s course, left my very secure and comfortable career behind, and embarked on this new adventure. And now? I wouldn’t change a thing.

Boy oh boy do I love this question!! Coaching can be expensive…but you see, that’s on purpose…because I only want to work with people that are serious about investing in this process, and more importantly, investing in themselves. What makes coaching worth the investment…?

You. You make it worth the investment. You. Are. Worth. It.

Your happiness is worth it. Your life is worth it. And most things that are worthwhile require some sort of investment….coaching is an investment in yourself. It’s an opportunity to find out who you are, what you want, what is holding you back, and then discover that you are capable of whatever it is you set your mind to. Coaching offers you motivation and accountability, while working through your limiting beliefs. Working with a coach can help you to set goals, and identify strategies to achieve those goals.

Taking the opportunity to work with a coach puts you first. Maybe for the first time in a long while.

I take pride in designing an experience that will best meet your needs – don’t know what that is? Let’s talk – Email me or set up a complimentary strategy session. Do it for you.

This varies widely, as everyone’s goals and purposes in engaging in coaching are so different. I offer Coaching Packages, including 3-, 6- and 12-month packages, and intensive VIP days. These solutions create a commitment to the coaching process, and to the process of self development, to ensure that you understand that it is hard work to change habits of thinking and acting, and that you are committed to making a concentrated effort, and understand that these changes take time.

Sessions are designed for us to start out by discussing your progress and any challenges since the previous session, and to identify what did and did not work for you. I take pride in having a very organic approach to Coaching – it’s not one-size-fits-all, and what works for you may not work for my next client. With that in mind, you’ll set the agenda and tone for the remainder of the session (some clients use several sessions to work on one focus area, others change focus area each and every session). Clients will often be asked to do “homework” between sessions (though usually not your traditional kind), in an effort to maintain momentum and shifts in thought and behavioral patterns, and you will receive a “follow up” email from me post-session with any reminders.

I am always eager to hear any updates that you are excited to share with me via email or text between sessions as well.

During your final scheduled coaching session, we will discuss your progress and next steps. In some cases, clients may decide to proceed with additional coaching sessions, while in others the client may have met their initial goals and feel complete in the coaching relationship. What this means is different for each person, depending on what we outlined as your goals in the beginning:

For one client, it means that they have a strategy that allows them to stay calm while their teenagers argue.

For another, it means they have summoned the courage to present in front of a peer group.

For someone else, it means that they have re-developed their resume and identified what type of corporation they are interested in working for.

One client may be pursuing a promotion, while the next client is processing grief after a loved one’s passing, and yet another is focusing on organizational skills.

Another client may see success as incorporating a daily meditation practice into their life as a form of stress management.

Once you’ve achieved your goals and we have concluded our coaching relationship, I encourage you to sign up to receive regular blog updates and newsletters delivered to you inbox. I love to stay connected with clients over social media, as well!

Oftentimes, clients will sign up for “maintenance” packages with me, which are typically monthly or quarterly calls, or an annual VIP visit to stay on track. What works is different for everyone.

Conducting sessions remotely allows me to work with clients that are located anywhere in the world.

I establish a very close rapport with all of my clients, even if we never meet face-to-face. The benefits of telephone or Skype coaching is that it saves time & money, and it works beautifully. I have found that coaching over the phone allows me to listen more fully, without visual distraction. From the client perspective, many people find that they feel less self-conscious and are more willing to be vulnerable and open over the phone. Most of my clients have extremely busy personal and professional lives, and therefore virtual sessions work into their already crazy schedule. However, some clients enjoy meeting face to face at a mutually agreed upon location, and I always love to see my clients in person! Sometimes it’s a mix – I’m very flexible, and hope you are too!

Whether sessions are conducted over phone, Skype or in person, it is important to remember to be somewhere that is quiet and free of distraction.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone of a trusting and productive Coach/Client relationship. Due to the nature of this work, I am unable to provide names of clients (either past, current or future) as references. However, you’re welcome to read any testimonials that clients have written throughout my website.

My work is done primarily with individuals, though Equus Coaching, Team Building, Speaking and Corporate work is sometimes an exception. I’d love to know more about why you’re asking, and we can go from there. Send me an email to let me know what you have in mind!.

Absolutely! I have a lot of fun creating and facilitating workshops and retreats – the sky is the limit! I’d love to hear what you have in mind, what you’re learning objectives are, who your audience is, and what your budget is, and we can design something that will really be meaningful! Simply set up a complimentary strategy session and we’ll start creating!